Topping machine



Dec. 14 1926. 1,610,978

r J. A. SERIGHT TOPPING MACHINE Filed Jari'. 30, 1,925 s sheets-.sheet 1 1,610,978 J. A. SERIGHT l l I TQPPING MACHINE `Filed Jan. 5011925 sheetsheet 2 I fw i l :im g" "1, @o Q) I. I i 'I l Q O 0 OQ() o A I A I I Patented Dec. 14, 192,6.

JAMES A. SEBIGHT,

TOPPING- 'Application ed January rlhis invention relates to a topping machine for cane, kaiir corn and the like, the general object of the invention being to provide means for feeding the material against a rotating cutter which will cut the tops off and to provide conveyor means for conveying the tops to one point and the material to another point, with a motor for operating the conveyor means and the cutting means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spikes drum for engaging the material as it is being cut to hold the same firmly while it is being cut, with means for operating thc drum from the motor and providing means for adjusting the drum relative to the cutting means.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view.

Figure 3 is a vdetail plan view showing the adjacent ends of two of the conveyors.

Figure 1 is a section on line 1-4 of Figure 1.

Figure/5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the spring holder for the adjustable leg of one of the conveyors.

Figure 7 is a sectional view through such leg.

Figure 8 isa section on line 8-8 of Figl ure 1.

In these views, A indicates a wagon for supporting the various parts of the apparatus so that the device can be transported from place to place. This body has a small frame 1 at one side thereof which supports a stub shaft 2 to which is secured a saw-like cutter disc 3 and the sprockets 11. A motor 5 is supported on a frame 6 carried by the wagon and the shaft of said motor has a sprocket 7 thereon which is connected by the chain 8 with one of the sprockets on the stub shaft 2 so that the cutter disc will PATENT OFFlCE.

OF COLBY, KANSAS.

MACHINE.

30, 1925. serial No. 5,811.

be driven from the motor.l A spiked drum 9 is supported by the brackets 10, the pintles of the drum being carried by the blocks 11 slidably mounted in openings 12 formed in the brackets and adjustable in said openings by means of the set bolts 13. Thus the drum can be adjusted relative to the cutter and the platform of the wagon. rEhe material to be cut is fed to the cutter by means of the conveyor 14 and the drum engaging this material, just before it reaches the cutter, will hold it firmly while it is being cut. The material is laid upon the conveyor with the tops projecting over the side of the platform so that the tops will be severed by the cutter and such tops will be directed by the spring strip 15, arrangedvadjacent 'y the cutter, upon the conveyor 1G which is transversely arranged in thelower part of the wagon and which leads the tops to an elevator conveyor 17 at one side of the wagon so that they can be deposited into a vehicle or any other receiver. The material after having the tops severed therefrom is carried by the conveyor 14 past the cutting means onto a second conveyor 18 which is carried by a frame 19 which is pivoted at its front end to the wagon by the shaft 20 which carries the sprockets for the front end of the conveyor. A frame 21 carrying the endless belt 22 is supported above the frame 1 9 by the uprights 23 which are connected with the frame 19 so that the material is engaged by the teeth 24: of the two endless belts and thus forcibly fed to the discharge end of the device. The frame 19, and thus the frame 21, can be adjusted at any angle to elevate the material into a wagon or the like by means of afelescopic leg 25 which is pivoted to the frame 19 and when not in use can be swung upwardly and gripped by a clamp 26 on the frame 19. The central member of the leg is pointed to firmly engage the ground and the sections ofthe leg are held in adjusted position by the set screws 27. A shaft 28 is supported at one side of the wagon by the bracket 29 and this shaft has a sprocket thereon which is engaged by a chain 30 which also engages a sprocket on the shaft 2 so that the shaft 28 will be driven from the shaft 2. This shaft 28 is connected by the gears 31 with a shaft 32 which drives the conveyor 16, the motion of the conveyor 16 being communicated to the elevator 17, as shown at 33. A chain 34.- engages a sprocket on shaft 28 and a sprocket on a shaft which also ycarries a fly Wheel 36 and a-y sprocket on this shaft 85 is engaged by a. chain 37. which also engages a sprocket on a transverse shaft 38 which is connected by the gears 39 With the shafts at the inner ends oit' the conveyors 14 and 18. .fr second sprocket on the shaft 38 is connected by a chain with a sprocket on the shaft oi the drum 9.

VFrom the 'oregdin'g it will be seen that the material is placed crossyvise on the Conveyor 14 so that it vvill be carried along to the cutting means and thus have the tops out therefrom. T he tops will drop upon the conveyor 16 and be carried to the elevator 17 which will deliver them to a Wagon or other receiver. The material Will then be carried by the conveyor 14 pastv theV cutting means to the conveyor 18, which may be elevated to deliver the material to another Wagon or receiver or the material may' be permitted to drop upon the ground. The material upon the conveyor 18 Will also be engaged by the member 22 so that it Will be forcibly fed from between the tivo endless members`-18 andv 22', the member 22 being actuated fromthe m'ember 18 through the connections 22. The frames 19 and 21 can be adjusted to" the proper inclination by means of the telescopic leg 25 and all the moving parts are operated fromth-e motor 5.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features o't my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall Within the scope ot the appended claim.

A machine or' the class described comprising a Wheeled trame, a pair of toothed endless conveyors supported on the frame and arranged horizontally in end to end relation, an endlessl conveyor arranged above one of the aforementioned conveyorsan'd at an inclination thereto, means for operating all of said conveyors simultaneously, a shaft projecting laterally from one side of the machine adjacent the other of the first mentioned conveyors, acutting disk carried by the shaft, means for rotating said disk, bracket arms arranged a-bove the last mentioned Conveyor and terminating to provide slotted vertically disposed portions, bearings slidablv adjustable in said portions, a

toothed drum journaled in Said bearings,l

means for rotating said drum, and means "for adjusting the adjacent pair of said conveyors with relation to the ground.

In testimony whereof I afilX mysignature.

JAMES A. S'ERIGHT. 

